Sensational farewell: Pastor Otterbach retires!

Sensational farewell: Pastor Otterbach retires!

Niedereggenen, Deutschland - Last Sunday, June 22, 2025, a moving farewell service for Pastor Ralf Otterbach took place in the Evangelical Church of Niederggenen. After 34 years on duty, of which he worked for 15 years in the Evangelical parish of Expert and Feldberg, the pastor now said goodbye. The atmosphere was characterized by great gratitude, as also reported ekbh.de.

At the beginning of his last sermon, Otterbach surprised with a humorous grade by comparing the purchase of butter cake with a boring sermon. "The church is sometimes rhubarb cake, sometimes butter cake," he said with a smile. God himself is always the butter cake, even often the seductive Black Forest cherry cake, he continued, and he encouraged the believers to "taste and see how friendly the Lord is". Verlagshaus-jaumann.de

a last school day and new ways

Dean Schmid-Hornisch kept a warm laudation and quoted the outgoing pastor: "When something new begins, you should clear the way for it." Otterbach’s decision to move to Witten in the Ruhr area, where he will live with one of his daughters, reflects this new phase of life, which he is now entering. The parish must now wait for a successor. Pastor Bettina von Kienle will take care of the representation during the vacancy.

After the service, the numerous guests were invited to personally say goodbye to Otterbach at a champagne reception. This not only offered the opportunity to share memories, but also for many a place to thank you for the long -term accompaniment and the use of the pastor in the community.

traditional farewell

The farewells of pastors in the Evangelical Methodist Church, as described on emk-gottesdienst.org, often contain a ritual form of accompaniment. However, this does not replace the personal farewell at the last place of work, which in this case was particularly impressive and warm. Otterbach was allowed to retire with personal blessings, a handover of the certificate of retirement and a special blessing for his new phase of life.

The warm words and the atmospheric celebration make it clear that Pastor Ralf Otterbach was not only a good preacher, but also a person with a special hand for community and cohesion. He will continue to remember the community, and his message from the kindness of God will surely sail in the hearts of the faithful.